Sheer Mag, Flesh World, Fire Heads

After releasing a few ripping 7-inches and quickly establishing a base of dedicated fans, Philadelphia's Sheer Mag released their first album, Need To Feel Your Love, earlier this year. Perhaps one of the biggest jammers of the summer, Need To Feel Your Love wraps the good-time-havin' 1970s spirit of rock and roll around belted demands for political action, and it's ripe with solidly developed power-pop sensibilities. On "Meet Me In The Street," powerhouse vocalist Tina Halladay howls over a running bassline and Thin Lizzy-esque guitar riffs, reminding us that "the lie is the law and no friend is the hand that points and commands." She encourages us to "get in the mix" because "when we walk together it feels alright." Sheer Mag ride the line between playing what you want to hear in a heavy power pop project, and telling you what you need to hear. Dark San Francisco post punk project Flesh World plays here as well, along with local garage-punk outfit Fire Heads. —Emili Earhart